Vehicle Highlights

What You Will Like

The 2018 Mazda CX-5 competes with the likes of the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape. Even in this crowd, it's one of the sportiest-driving models, with surprisingly good fuel economy ratings considering that. The CX-5 also stands out for offering a great ride quality and a flexible, spacious interior. The CX-5's infotainment system, with Bose sound, is one of the most feature-packed in its competitive set, too, with features such as well-integrated Pandora internet radio.

What's New For 2018

After a redesign last year, the Mazda CX-5 returns for 2018 with more standard features. Chief among these is a new cylinder deactivation system, which works by shutting down two of the four cylinders in the Mazda's engine when to save fuel when cruising on the highway. The system promises to be seamless and should improve fuel economy. Other new standard features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob as well as a some new safety features such as a blind spot monitoring system and a rear cross-traffic alert system. Touring models also get a bump in features, now with standard 19-inch wheels and an active lane assist system, adaptive cruise control, rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights.

Warranty

Basic Warranty: 3 Years / 36,000 Miles

Drivetrain Warranty: 5 Years / 60,000 Miles

Roadside Assistance: 3 Years / 36,000 Miles

A vehicle's warranty can significant impact your maintenance costs after you drive off the dealer's lot, and it's important to understand the different parts. Typically, a new car warranty includes a Basic warranty, which covers everything except the wear items such as brakes and tires; and a Drivetrain warranty, that covers all the parts that make the car move, such as the engine and transmission

Compare the 2018 Mazda CX-5

Loading Comparison...

Introduction

The Mazda CX-5 is a midsize crossover that delivers crisp driving response with practical cargo and people hauling capability. Rivals include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Subaru Forester.

The CX-5 was redesigned for 2017, with a retuned engine, stiffer chassis with wider track, more stylish exterior, better-looking and much quieter cabin, and many detail improvements. So for 2018 there are no changes, except for the addition of some equipment, for a very small increase in price.

Standard is a 2.5-liter gas engine that makes 187 horsepower, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The powertrain of the CX-5 is crisp, and the steering precise, thanks to the rigidity of the chassis, as well as its standard brake-based torque vectoring system that shifts torque to outside wheels in corners. The CX-5’s excellent handling makes it more fun to drive than the other compact crossovers. Ford and Subaru off more powerful turbocharged engines.

The CX-5 is small for a compact crossover, with a wheelbase of 106.3 inches and overall length of 179.1. As a result, it has less room inside than the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue. But that same trait makes it easier to park and enhances its responsive handling.

Fuel mileage is 24 miles per gallon city, 31 highway, and 27 combined with front-wheel drive, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2016 CX-5 earned Top Safety Pick+ of the insurance industry’s IIHS, so the 2018 model should equal that, with the stiffer chassis including stiffer roof pillars.

Grand Touring models add leather and 19-inch wheels to the above. Options beyond that include heated rear seats and a new head-up display.

Walkaround

The CX-5 is an eye-catching compact crossover. It doesn’t look boxy. It states style. The styling changes made for 2017 were subtle, and should hold up for years.

It’s a cliche to say a car looks like it’s moving when it’s standing still, but it’s a near-impossibility to say that about a crossover. However we will say it about the CX-5.

The front pillars are pushed back, and the shoulders follow. There’s a slim chrome boomerang under the windows to accelerate the flow. The mesh grille is classier than chrome bars in other SUVs, a bold rounded trapezoid that reaches toward LED headlamps. The black cladding is thin and the taillamps are tidy.

Interior

The CX-5 cabin is much like that of the more deluxe CX-9. It’s enhanced by some of the details that were addressed for 2017, for example clean interior lighting, a tidy steering wheel, and a shift lever located in a natural position for the driver’s hand. Mazda pays close attention to ergonomics. The pushed-back A pillars allow good visibility from the driver’s seat, and better ergonomics because the armrests are raised to a more natural position.

Thanks to the addition of nearly 100 pounds of sound-deadening material, the cabin is as quiet as a Lexus. However, cabin engineers missed a couple things. The 7.0-inch touchscreen sits atop the dash, a bit too far away, and reflects smudges. The resolution is sharp, but the infotainment system is finicky; things like programming presets or entering destinations take more touches than should be necessary, and the controller on the center console is a bit hard to grip.

Mazda takes a Spartan approach to infotainment. This works when it makes things simple, but it’s difficult to find a happy functioning medium.

There’s decent shoulder room in the rear, with rear doors that open wide. Thanks to scalloping in the back of the front seats, there’s enough legroom for a six-footer in the rear, although three of them might push the comfort level a bit. The rear seat reclines, another feature new for 2017.

Behind the rear seat, there’s 31 cubic feet of storage, and 60 cubic with the rear folded flat. That’s quite decent, although a bit less than those competitors we’ve mentioned, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, and Subaru Forester. However we can state that we stuffed a ton of stuff inside, including furniture, along with a kayak and four Jeep tires on the roof, to take a kid back to college.

Driving Impressions

The performance is sharp from the engine, transmission, and especially the steering. The throttle response is quite sharp, which encourages smooth driving; that also means it’s not very forgiving of a loose or unthinking foot, but we’ll take that over sloppy any day.

The transmission is programmed to stay in gear for a bit longer under acceleration, which you especially feel when the car is accelerating onto freeways. It knows where it is, at least most of the time, by reading your foot.

We got about 150 miles of seat time at the launch of the CX-5, and then another full week carrying around equipment like kayaks and bikes. That time was all on models with 19-inch wheels, rather than the standard 17s. The ride is usually firmer with bigger wheels because the tire sidewalls are thinner, but ours didn’t feel stiff. Most of the bumps were soaked up by the independent front suspension and multi-link rear. The steering rack is mounted directly to the front suspension for more sensitivity, and better feedback. But not too much, on bumpy roads.

The precise cornering comes with progressive steering that’s firm but not heavy. The torque vectoring helps cut down head toss. Torque vectoring works by making tiny adjustments to the power and traction in individual wheels, in the corners; this improves balance which makes steering and handling sharper and more accurate. That’s what the driver feels: precision and better balance.

Summary

Long list of exceptionals here, starting with the big four: powertrain, handling, looks and cabin. When you’re tops in those four, you’re virtually for sure the best in class. Infotainment might be the only area where it doesn’t beat its rivals. In short, the Mazda CX-5 is hands-down a winner.

Free Select

Updating...

About These Prices

As you know, pricing cars is particularly complicated. One of our duties at CarQuotes.com is to help our customers comprehend this process better.

Three important prices we may show on a particular vehicle

CarQuotes.com Estimated Target Price is for research purposes only. It reflects a typical, negotiated price (before taxes and other customary fees and charges, such as dealer documentation fees, tire and battery disposal fees, license and registration, and where applicable, finance charges) generally found for the vehicle that you selected. The Estimated Target Price is NOT a price quote from CarQuotes.com or any other dealer. If you request a price quote from a dealer via CarQuotes.com displaying an estimated target price, your price may differ.

Invoice is commonly known as the published amount that the dealer paid the manufacturer for the vehicle. This may or may not represent a close relation to the dealer’s actual cost, but can be beneficial as a benchmark. This figure is available on many other web sites however CarQuotes.com adds an estimate of local and regional fees from manufacturer to the dealers to this price, which makes it very close to the actual invoice amount for cars at your local dealer.

MSRP is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. This is a proposed price only. For most vehicles, the CarQuotes.com price is below this amount. Some high demand cars may be priced over this amount.

Estimated Target Price

The CarQuotes.com Target Price is to be used as a general guide that reflects a typical, market price (before taxes and other customary fees and charges) generally found for the vehicle that you selected. This price is based on our research and estimates of supply and demand in the marketplace. There are many factors that go into the final price of a particular vehicle including local supply and demand. Your final price may differ.

CarQuotes.com Estimated Target Prices include

The ’base’ price of the vehicle
All options that you select
Base Destination Charges — this is a charge that is added to the base price for every vehicle
Any related Estimated Manufacture to Consumer Cash Rebates. Note: rebates are subject to change at any time. Please make sure to confirm any consumer Cash rebates with your dealer representative at the time of purchase.

CarQuotes.com Estimated price(s) do NOT include any of the following:

Local taxes, license fees and other local fees, such as dealer documentation fees, tire and battery disposal fees, and where applicable, finance charges — these fees are also excluded from Dealer Invoice and MSRP and would be excluded from most advertisements you might see.
Random ’special qualification’ rebates — i.e., for new college grads only; for customers trading in a specific type of car. Ask your dealer Representative for more information on ’special qualification’ rebates.

CarQuotes Estimated Dealer Price

The Estimated CarQuotes Dealer Price is an estimate of the pricing presented to CarQuotes members from CarQuotes Authorized Dealers in your area, and is calculated by subtracting an estimated savings value from the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price ("MSRP") as well as a value that relates to invoice for the "ideal vehicle" you configured. Dealer documentation, administrative or similar processing fees are not included in the price estimate. Any vehicle configured on the CarQuotes website is an "ideal vehicle" and may not exist at a CarQuotes Authorized Dealer or any other partner dealer. Each Dealer attempts to match a member’s vehicle preferences with the best possible selection from current, in-stock inventory.

Estimated Savings

The Estimated Savings represents the estimated amount of savings off of MSRP available to you from CarQuotes Dealers for a vehicle consistent with your configured preferences plus any customer incentives currently available. This is also true when it comes to CarQuotes estimated target prices. Your actual savings will depend on several factors including market conditions, the style of vehicle you select, installed options, dealer coverage, and applicable manufacturer incentives. Each dealer sets its own pricing.

In most cases, you must choose between these programs OR a customer rebate or a special manufacturer-to-dealer incentive that may or may not already be included in your CarQuotes.com Target Price. So, your final price may go up if you take advantage of special manufacturer financing. Credit Union members should contact their Credit Union loan department to determine what type of loan and financing options are right for you.

Please note that CarQuotes.com strives to include identified manufacturer incentives within the CarQuotes.com Target Price. CarQuotes.com does not administer these programs, which are subject to and often change without notice. Eligibility for these programs is subject to verification by a licensed auto dealer.

Ask your dealer representative for complete manufacturer program details for your area, and how participation in these programs will affect your price.

Base Vehicle

The base vehicle is the vehicle before any optional equipment or destination fees have been added. All of the standard features are included in the base vehicle.

Options

This is the total charge for all optional equipment included in the configuration of your virtual vehicle. The Options charge varies depending on whether it is calculated based on the Factory Invoice or MSRP. Options are not included in the base vehicle price and are not considered standard features.

Regional Fees

A Regional Fee is the fee a manufacturer charges a dealer to advertise and promote the vehicle in the dealer’s market. CarQuotes also includes estimated manufacturer preparation charges (manufacturer charges to the dealer to cover any work done on the car prior to delivering it to the dealership) and fuel charges (the charge for the fuel in the tank when the buyer purchases the vehicle) in this total. CarQuotes attempts to include regional ad fees in its Factory Invoice calculations; other sites at times do not.

Destination Fees

These are the amounts that manufacturers charge to deliver a vehicle from the factory to the dealership.

Customer Incentives

Customer incentives are also commonly known as customer cash or bonus incentives. These incentives are offered by manufacturers as a way of enticing buyers into purchasing a vehicle.

Note: Dealer Invoice amount might not be the amount that the dealer paid to the manufacturer

Dealer Invoice price may or may not bear close relation to a dealer’s actual cost for the vehicle. In some cases, a cost for a vehicle may be significantly less than the invoice price originally paid for the vehicle. Any difference between invoice price and the dealer’s final cost may be caused by many factors including factory refunds, rebates, allowances, or incentives which the manufacturer or distributor may provide to the dealer.